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The first year after Uther’s death began with calamitous events. Before the snows had fully melted, an unwelcome guest arrived in Salisbury. Aetheling Sledd of Essex arrived in Sarum, demanding tribute in return for their protection, now that the strong unifying force of Uther Pendragon was no more. Grudgingly Countess Ellen agreed, and the already troubled people of Salisbury could only watch in anger and sorrow as cattle and carts of silver and gold were driven eastward. But the knights of Salisbury were undeterred, for hard times give rise to great men. After conferring with the Countess, the party agreed to set forth to the southern lands of Dorset, where they sought to secure a marriage alliance with the newly appointed Praetor. Before they managed to leave however, Sir Reginald spied Sir Lycus and Lady Jenna conferring, and reported the knight’s and the young lady’s inappropriate behavior to the Countess, who promptly sent Sir Lycus from court. On their journey they met the Lady of the Lake Nineve, and were strongarmed into carrying out a dangerous task for the Praetor, liberating one of his border keeps from a group of bandit knights. Though successful, their return was less than joyous, for they were accosted by the fae knight that had followed their journey since its beginning, and his gibbering minions. Their foe was laid low, but the results of the battle may be far reaching. Soon after the knights were charged with inspecting the defenses of Salisbury, and though the winter had been hard and the times poor, there was much bustling about. Sir Reginald found that he had perhaps erred in his earlier estimate of Sir Lycus, but upon the revelation that Sir Reginald was the cause of Sir Lycus’ fall from favor, the relations between the two soured. What was also worrisome, was that the refugee situation around Du Plain was growing noticeably worse. Messengers from Hampshire, panicked and worried, arrived in Sarum for help to resist a new fleet that has landed in the south. The knights of Salisbury rushed to their aid, but on the way they met refugees who tell them that there was already a battle and that the knights of Hampshire were destroyed. The enemy king, Cerdic, has taken the city of Hantonne. The knights continued onward however and met a messenger carrying a flag of truce. The Saxon king has sent an offer to parley for peace. He invited them to Hantonne to meet with him, where he revealed his heritage: he is the son of Vortigern! He claims that he seeks to unify the Cymri and Saxons and has established a new kingdom: Wessex. Once the summer was turning to autumn, word came from Levcomagus that the region of Annaswater was woefully unprepared for the Anarchy, and Sir Rhisiart promptly offered to take it under his protection. Countess Ellen immediately sent a delegation of knights to treat with the villainous stewart, and to ensure that Salisbury would be at least warned if an invasion from Silchester was coming. Sir Gorn’s holdings on the borders gave the party shelter and the older gruff knight’s hospitality was simple, but sincere. The party sought to repay him by ridding him of some raiders that had plagued his lands, but woe and behold for they were caught by knights of Levcomagus, including the steward’s younger brother, and Sir Reginald’s adversary, Sir Cygran. As autumn was turning to winter and Sir Reginald, Sir Bera, Sir Basil, and Sir Tython were languishing in the prisons of Levcomagus, Sir Hilfbert and Sir Tyrone met a familiar lady upon their patrols. Nineve warned them of a coming danger and told a tragic tale of a young lady. The two promised to honor the lady’s wishes, unknowing that simultaneously their companions promised Sir Rhisiart to rid the world of the very same threat as a condition for their release. The party reunited and set out to fight an unknown foe, going do far as to seek advice from Lady Feimurgan, the Witch of the Woods, on who their opponent was. The witch revealed that they were hunting Black Annis, the most fearsome hag on the British Isles, an unkillable monster that hungered for the blood of the line that had wronged her. After a long track through the cold foothills north of Levcomagus, the party found the lair of Black Annis, and challenged the fearsome creature. The battle was long and hard fought, their foe striking with otherworldly might and surrounded by an aura of the darkest nightmares which chilled the blood of the brave knights. Sir Tython gave his life for his friends, as his lord had before him, his head struck from his shoulders by a strike that would have cleaved through stone. Ultimately, the creature fell, its body scattering to the winds in a cloud of dust and smoke. Though victorious, the knights were far from triumphant. One of their brothers had fallen, and they knew that their foe would return to seek her revenge. Category:Years